SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “CUBE”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 631 records · Page 35

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1985

Satellite geodynamics

The application of space technology to the study of solid-earth geophysics are reviewed. Attention is given to the major experiments in the field of space-based geodynamics research including early satellite laser ranging (SLR) measurements, the GEOS-3 satellite observations, and the installation of corner cube reflectors on the moon. The contribution of VLBI techniques to terrestriral positioning measurements is also discussed. Prospects for future advances with the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and observations from on board the Space Station are also assessed.

Walter, L. S.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Radio occultation by Saturn's rings - Observations of structure and particle size with Voyager 1

Voyager 1 radio occultation study of Saturn's rings gives detailed information regarding the rings' radial structure and particle sizes. Structure within the rings is mapped to a radial resolution of few hundred m in the tenuous parts of ring C and the Cassini Division, and few km over most of ring A. Fine resolution profiles reveal extremely sharp edges, very narrow gaps, and a host of wave phenomena. Particle size distributions obtained from occultation data within several ring regions are roughly consistent with an inverse cube power law with upper size cutoff in the 5 to 10 m radius range.

Marouf, E. A.↗

NASA NTRS1985

A remark about pointed bubbles

The polymer expansion is a formal algebraic identity between a partition function and logarithm in statistical physics problems. The expansion gives a systematic method to control the free energy or to establish exponential tree-graph decay of connected correlations. Here, the convergence properties of the polymer expansion are analyzed in connection with three practical examples, including: intersecting bonds in chemical polymer chains; a connected closed hypersurface built from the (d-1)-faces of the d-dimensional unit cubes; and the set of Feynamn diagrams in the perturbation series of the Euclidean field theory partition function Z. The example of connected polymer chains is generalized to apply to other lattice models, including n-state Ising models at high temperature; short range lattice gases at high temperature; and weak coupling lattice field and gauge theories.

Garabedian, P. R.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Particle generation experience in Langley's 16-foot transonic tunnel

The Langley 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel is a single-return, continuous-flow, atmospheric tunnel which uses air exchange for cooling. The tunnel speed is continuously variable from Mach 0 to 1.30. The test section is a regular octagon in cross-section with slots at the corners of the octagon. The laser velocimeter optics, laser, photomultipliers, etc. are mounted in the test section plenum chamber which surrounds the test section. The test volume is approximately a 1-meter cube about the tunnel center line centered on tunnel station 40.84 meters. The seeding system particle generators are mounted on the upstream side of the fourth set of turning vanes approximately 49 meters upstream of the test volume. At this point the tunnel has a diameter of 17.68 meters which meant that installation of the generators was a difficult procedure. It might be noted that particle generation had to be continuous as when the generators were turned off the data rate rapidly deteriorated to zero.

Reubush, D. E.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Development of a radiation-hard CMOS process

It is recommended that various techniques be investigated which appear to have the potential for improving the radiation hardness of CMOS devices for prolonged space flight mission. The three key recommended processing techniques are: (1) making the gate oxide thin. It has been shown that radiation degradation is proportional to the cube of oxide thickness so that a relatively small reduction in thickness can greatly improve radiation resistance; (2) cleanliness and contamination control; and (3) to investigate different oxide growth (low temperature dry, TCE and HCL). All three produce high quality clean oxides, which are more radiation tolerant. Technique 2 addresses the reduction of metallic contamination. Technique 3 will produce a higher quality oxide by using slow growth rate conditions, and will minimize the effects of any residual sodium contamination through the introduction of hydrogen and chlorine into the oxide during growth.

Power, W. L.↗

NASA NTRS1985

An assessment of the impact of spacecraft glow on the Hubble space telescope. Summary of existing observations and theory

Visible spacecraft glow was first observed on the Atmospheric Explorer spacecraft (AE-E) and studied in some detail with the Visible Airglow Experiment (VAE). The AE-E was a spin-stabilized spacecraft without thrusters at an altitude of 140 to 280 km. The VAE contained six visible wavelength photometers that measured a glow spectrum which: (1) rose steeply in the red, (2) decreased with a cos cubed PH1 dependence from pointing into the ram direction of the spacecraft orbital motion, and (3) decreased in intensity with increasing altitude with the same dependence as the measured atomic oxygen number atmospheric density (O) and not with the measured molecular nitrogen density (N sub 2). It is proposed that the glow is produced by chemical reactions on the spacecraft surface as it sweeps through the atmospheric O, with roughly 5-8 eV per O atom available for excitation from the orbital motion of the spacecraft. This glow may in principal be produced by any of a number of species, including molecular band emission from OH, NO, and NO2. An attempt is made to scale the observed glow to the Hubble space telescope.

Clarke, J. T.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Determination of neutron flux distribution by using ANISN, a one-dimensional discrete S sub n ordinates transport code with anisotropic scattering

The purpose of this project was to use a one-dimensional discrete coordinates transport code called ANISN in order to determine the energy-angle-spatial distribution of neutrons in a 6-feet cube rock box which houses a D-T neutron generator at its center. The project was two-fold. The first phase of the project involved adaptation of the ANISN code written for an IBM 360/75/91 computer to the UNIVAC system at JSC. The second phase of the project was to use the code with proper geometry, source function and rock material composition in order to determine the neutron flux distribution around the rock box when a 14.1 MeV neutron generator placed at its center is activated.

Ghorai, S. K.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Anisotropic constitutive model for nickel base single crystal alloys: Development and finite element implementation

A tool for the mechanical analysis of nickel base single crystal superalloys, specifically Rene N4, used in gas turbine engine components is developed. This is achieved by a rate dependent anisotropic constitutive model implemented in a nonlinear three dimensional finite element code. The constitutive model is developed from metallurigical concepts utilizing a crystallographic approach. A non Schmid's law formulation is used to model the tension/compression asymmetry and orientation dependence in octahedral slip. Schmid's law is a good approximation to the inelastic response of the material in cube slip. The constitutive equations model the tensile behavior, creep response, and strain rate sensitivity of these alloys. Methods for deriving the material constants from standard tests are presented. The finite element implementation utilizes an initial strain method and twenty noded isoparametric solid elements. The ability to model piecewise linear load histories is included in the finite element code. The constitutive equations are accurately and economically integrated using a second order Adams-Moulton predictor-corrector method with a dynamic time incrementing procedure. Computed results from the finite element code are compared with experimental data for tensile, creep and cyclic tests at 760 deg C. The strain rate sensitivity and stress relaxation capabilities of the model are evaluated.

Dame, L. T.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Transpression as the main deformational event in an Archaean greenstone belt, northeastern Minnesota

Deformed and metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Vermilion district constitute an Archean greenstone belt trending east-west between higher grade rocks of the Vermilion Granitic Complex to the north and the Giants Range batholith to the south. Metamorphic grade is low throughout, being lowest in the center of the belt (chlorite zone of the greenschist facies). All the measured strain, a cleavage or schistosity, and a mineral lineation in this belt are attributed to the main phase of deformation D sub 2 that followed an earlier nappe-forming event D sub 1, which left little evidence of penetrative fabric. Previous work assumed that the D sub 2 deformation resulted from north-south compression across the district. It is now believed that a significant component of this deformation resulted from dextral shear across the whole region. Thus the Vermilion fault, a late-state largely strike-slip structure that bounds the Vermilion district to the north, may simply be the latest, most brittle expression of a shear regime that was much more widespread in space and time. Features that are indicative of shear include ductile shear zones with sigmoidal foliation patterns, highly schistose zones with the development of shear bands, feldspar clasts or pyrite cubes with asymmetric pressure shadows, and the fact that the asymmetry of the F sub 2 folds is predominantly Z for at least 15 km south of the Vermilion fault.

Hudleston, P. J.↗

NASA NTRS1986

A study of 35-ghz radar-assisted orbital maneuvering vehicle/space telescope docking

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of measuring range and range rate information from a complex radar target (a one-third scale model of the Edwin P. Hubble Space Telescope). The radar ranging system was a 35-GHz frequency-modulated continuous wave unit developed in the Communication Systems Branch of the Information and Electronic Systems Laboratory at Marshall Space Flight Cneter. Measurements were made over radar-to-target distances of 5 meters to 15 meters to simulate the close distance realized in the final stages of space vehicle docking. The Space Telescope model target was driven by an antenna positioner through a range of azimuth and elevation (pitch) angles to present a variety of visual aspects of the aft end to the radar. Measurements were obtained with and without a cube corner reflector mounted in the center of the aft end of the model. The results indicate that range and range rate measurements are performed significantly more accurately with the cooperative radar reflector affixed. The results further reveal that range rate (velocity) can be measured accurately enough to support the required soft docking with the Space Telescope.

Mcdonald, M. W.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Anisotropy of high temperature strength in precipitation-hardened nickel-base superalloy single crystals

The anisotropy of high temperature strength of nickel-base superalloy, Alloy 454, in service for advanced jet engine turbine blades and vanes, was investigated. Crystallographic orientation dependence of tensile yield strength, creep and creep rupture strength was found to be marked at about 760C. In comparison with other single crystal data, a larger allowance in high strength off-axial orientation from the 001 axis, and relatively poor strength at near the -111 axis were noted. From transmission electron microscopy the anisotropic characteristics of this alloy were explained in terms of available slip systems and stacking geometries of gamma-prime precipitate cuboids which are well hardened by a large tantalum content. 100 cube slip was considered to be primarily responsible for the poor strength of the -111 axis orientation replacing the conventional 111 plane slip systems.

Nakagawa, Y. G.↗

NASA NTRS1985

An efficient algorithm for estimating noise covariances in distributed systems

An efficient computational algorithm for estimating the noise covariance matrices of large linear discrete stochatic-dynamic systems is presented. Such systems arise typically by discretizing distributed-parameter systems, and their size renders computational efficiency a major consideration. The proposed adaptive filtering algorithm is based on the ideas of Belanger, and is algebraically equivalent to his algorithm. The earlier algorithm, however, has computational complexity proportional to p to the 6th, where p is the number of observations of the system state, while the new algorithm has complexity proportional to only p-cubed. Further, the formulation of noise covariance estimation as a secondary filter, analogous to state estimation as a primary filter, suggests several generalizations of the earlier algorithm. The performance of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated for a distributed system arising in numerical weather prediction.

Dee, D. P.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Measuring plant canopy structure

The potential of three systems to quantify plant canopy structure, key input data to canopy reflectance models is examined. The results show an optical radar system is potentially capable of providing the most fundamental type of structural data, the area, and the direction of the normal of each small piece of foliage in each cube of space in the canopy. To decrease the size of the data set of canopy measurements needed to statistically characterize the structure of a plant canopy, it is proposed that the statistical methods of bootstrapping be employed and that plans of large caopies be measured one at a time.

Vanderbilt, V. C.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Estimation of the differential pulse propagation times in two-color laser ranging systems

Two-color laser ranging systems can be used to determine the atmospheric delay by measuring the difference in propagation times between two optical pulses transmitted at two different wavelengths. In this paper, the performance of a cross-correlation technique for estimating the differential propagation time is analyzed by considering both speckle and shot noise. For the flat diffuse targets, the differential timing accuracy is highly dependent on the receiver bandwidth and the characteristics of the time-resolved speckle. At low signal levels, when the receiver bandwidth is chosen properly, the performance of the correlation estimator is comparable with that of the maximum-likelihood estimator. At high signal levels, however, speckle places a fundamental limit on the performance of the correlation estimator. For the cube-corner reflector arrays, timing performance is dominated by partially developed speckle. The differential propagation time cannot by resolved to better than the pulse widths of the received signals.

Im, K. E.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Wave propagation in pulsar magnetospheres - Refraction of rays in the open flux zone

The propagation of waves through a relativistically outflowing electron-positron plasma in a very strong dipolar magnetic field, conditions expected in pulsar magnetospheres, is investigated. Halmilton's equations is derived for the propagation of rays through a plasma which is inhomogeneous in density, magnetic field directions, and Lorentz factor. These equations are solved for rays propagating through the plasmas outflowing along the 'open' dipolar field lines in which the density decreases inversely as the radius cubed and in the case where gradients transverse to the radial direction exist. In the radial case, the effects of refraction on pulse profiles, spectrum, and polarization are examined, and the effects of a transverse gradient are indicated. Attention is given to models in which the observed broad bandwidth in the radio emission has its origin in a radius to frequency map. Models with broad-band emission at a single radius are also studied. These are compared to observations of pulse width and pulse component separation as a function of frequency. The origin of 'orthogonal modes' is discussed.

Barnard, J. J.↗

NASA NTRS1986

The cyclic stress-strain behavior of a nickel-base superalloy at 650 C

It is pointed out that examinations of the monotonic tensile and fatigue behaviors of single crystal nickel-base superalloys have disclosed orientation-dependent tension-compression anisotropies and significant differences in the mechanical response of octahedral and cube slip at intermediate temperatures. An examination is conducted of the cyclic hardening response of the single crystal superalloy PWA 1480 at 650 C. In the considered case, tension-compression anisotropy is present, taking into account primarily conditions under which a single slip system is operative. Aspects of a deformation by single slip are considered along with cyclic hardening anisotropy in tension and compression. It is found that specimens deforming by octahedral slip on a single slip system have similar hardening responses in tensile and low cycle fatigue loading. Cyclic strain hardening is very low for specimens displaying single slip.

Gabb, T. P.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Algebraic grid generation about wing-fuselage bodies

An algebraic procedure for the generation of boundary-fitted grids about wing-fuselage configurations is presented. A wing-fuselage configuration is specified by cross sections and mathematically represented by Coons' patches. A configuration is divided into sections so that several grid blocks that either adjoin each other or partially overlap each other can be generated. Each grid has six exterior surfaces that map into a computational cube. Grids are first determined on the six boundary surfaces and then in the interior. Grid curves that are on the surface of the configuration are derived from the intersection of planes with the Coons' patch definition. Single-valued functions relating approximate arc lengths along the grid curves to a computational coordinate define the distribution of grid points. The two-boundary technique and transfinite interpolation are used to determine the boundary surface grids that are not on the configuration, and transfinite interpolation with linear blending functions is used to determine the interior grid.

Smith, R. E.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Planetary Fabry-Perot spectroscopy

Uranus and Jupiter HD/H2 spectra determine bulk D/H ratios which are significantly different from theoretical expectations, with the Uranus D/H about half the Jovian value. Feasibility of Mars photochemistry study with a PEPSIOS spectrometer was demonstrated with visible band O2, H2O, and CO2 spectra; and near infrared (1.57 micron) spectra of CO and CO2; and NASA/IRTF observations have been proposed in support of the Mars Observer mission objectives. Analysis of monochromatic images clearly resolve the azimuthal and radial structure in the Jovian nebula (ion partitioning, temperature structure, ion/neutral interactions), adding a unique and important post-Voyager perspective and providing a baseline for forthcoming Galileo experiments. Simultaneous ground based and IUE observations of Jovian nebula are under analysis. Doppler resolved image sequences (data cubes) of Io sodium neutrals clearly isolate the high velocity charge exchange jet, a sensitive ground-based probe of the tenuous neutral atmosphere of Io.

Trauger, J. T.↗